Convertible/inverted tree

ABSTRACT

An invertible decorative tree having sections that are each provided with complementary receiving portions and/or extending members. The sections include a stand, a trunk segment, at least one tree body, and a tree top. Through the complementary relationships of the receiving and associating mechanisms, the tree can be arranged to provide a triangular appearance with its apex at the top or its apex near the bottom. In order to provide for this inversion, the tree top is equipped to connect with the trunk segment or with a tree body segment.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/592,877, filed 3Nov. 2006 (to be issued on 4 Nov. 2008 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,445,824), theentire contents and substance of which is hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention relate to artificial decorativetrees and, more particularly, to a convertible tree.

2. Description of Related Art

Artificial trees for holiday decorations have long since been known inthe art. Variations extend to tree stands, the manner in which branchesare attached or assembled with the tree, ways trees collapse forstorage, prelighting strategies, inclusion of devices to producechanging color or blinking lights, different stands to stabilize thetrees, even devices that rotate the entire tree or certain ornaments onthe trees.

Recently, certain decorative trees have been made to look like invertedpine trees such that the apex of the triangular shape is at the bottomwith the opposing side at the top. This shape is desirable for thosewishing for a better way to position and display presents and gifts. Inaddition, the inverted tree allows for ornaments to hang outside thesilhouette of the tree such that their display is enhanced. Whether auser desires an upright or an inverted tree may, however, change overtime.

Embodiments of the present invention differ from the above-referencedinventions and others similar in that these prior devices do not allowthe user to vary the height of the decorative tree while also providingthe user the option of inverted or upright tree. Additionally, earlierdevices do not offer economies of scale necessary for decorative treemanufacturers that could be obtained by creating a tree that serves thedual purpose of an upright tree and an inverted tree each of variableheight.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention include a stand assembly, a trunksegment, at least one tree body assembly and a tree top section. In anexemplary embodiment, the tree can be prelit and hence provided withappropriate electrical connections.

The tree is convertible from an upright generally triangular shaped treewith an apex at the top to an inverted tree of triangular shape with itsapex need the bottom. The height of the tree (in either orientation) canbe adjusted by using a trunk segment of varying length or by adding orsubtracting the number of tree body assemblies. Each of the tree bodyassemblies have a plurality of branches graduated in length and arrangedon the assembly from shortest to longest.

The trunk segment is associated with the stand assembly. The trunksegment has means to receive; the tree body assembly has means toassociate and means to receive; and the tree top section has means toassociate and means to receive. In the upright orientation, the means toassociate of the tree body assembly is received by the means to receiveof the trunk segment. The means to associate of the tree top section isreceived by the means to receive of the tree body assembly. Ifadditional tree body sections are used, the same arrangement ispreferred and the tree bodies are ordered such that the longest branchand the shortest branch, respectively, on a tree body segment areshorter than the longest branch and the shortest branch, respectively,on the next tree body assembly in direct relation with the tree'sheight.

The inverted tree orientation requires each of the tree body assembliesand the tree top section to be reversed in position and direction. Forexample, means to associate the tree top section is received by means toreceive of the trunk segment. Means to associate of the tree bodyassembly is received by means to receive of the tree top section whichresults in an inverted triangular shaped tree. If additional tree bodyassemblies are used, then the means to associate on the tree bodyassembly having shorter branches is received by the means to receive onthe tree body assembly having longer branches. This arrangementcontinues until the desired number of tree body assemblies areassembled, then the means to associate on the tree top section isreceived by the means to receive on the uppermost tree body assembly.

In an exemplary embodiment, the uppermost point of the tree (whethertree top section or tree body assembly) will be a receiving means. Atree topper ornament such as a star can be received by the receivingmeans.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will bereadily appreciated from the following description. The descriptionmakes reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided forillustration. Such embodiments, however, do not represent the full scopeof the invention. The subject matter which the inventor regards as hisinvention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in theclaims at the conclusion of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the upright version of a tree, in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective of the inverted version of the tree, inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a trunk segment, in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a tree body assembly, in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a tree top section, in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 end views of the means to receive and the means to associate, inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 end views of the tree top-section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tree 10 of the present invention may beconverted from upright 12 to inverted 14, and vice versa, usingidentical and no additional parts.

The tree 10 comprises a stand assembly 15, a trunk segment 16, a firsttree body assembly 18, and a tree top section 20. The stand assembly 15comprises a plurality of feet 22 and means to receive the trunk segment24. The trunk segment 16 comprises a first end 26 and a second end 27,wherein the first end 26 includes means to associate 30. The first treebody assembly 18 includes a first end 40 having means to receive 42 anda second end 44 having means to associate 46. The first tree bodyassembly 18 further comprises a plurality of branches 48, 50 in variouslengths arranged between the first end 40 and the second end 44 fromshortest 50 to longest 48. The means to associate 30 of the trunksegment 24 is received by the means to receive 42 of the first tree bodyassembly 18.

The tree top section 20 comprises a first end 60 and a second end 62 anda plurality of branches 61, 63 of varying length arranged from longest61 to shortest 63 between the first end 60 and the second end 62, thelongest branches 63 being shorter than the longest branches 48 of thefirst tree body assembly 18. The first end 60 comprises first means toreceive 64, and the second end 62 comprises a second means to receive66. The means to associate 46 of the second end 44 of the tree bodyassembly 18 are received by the first means to receive 64 of the treetop section 20. An ornament 70 comprising means to associate 72 can bepositioned atop the tree 10. Here, the means to associate of theornament 72 can be received by the second means to receive 66 of thetree top section 20.

In an exemplary embodiment, a second tree body assembly 80 is included.The second tree body assembly 80 comprises a plurality of branches 82,84 in various lengths the longest of which is longer than the longestbranches 48 on the first tree body assembly 18 and arranged between afirst end 86 and a second end 88 from longest 84 to shortest 86. Thefirst end 86 of the second tree body assembly 80 comprises means toreceive 90 and the second end 88 of the second tree body assembly 80comprises means to associate 92. The means to associate 92 of the secondtree body assembly 80 are received by the means to receive 42 on thefirst tree body assembly 80. The means to associate 30 the trunk segment16 are received by the means to receive 90 on the second tree bodyassembly 80.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in an exemplary embodiment, the means toreceive comprise steel tubing of a first diameter 100 and the means toassociate comprise steel tubing having a second diameter 102 smallerthan the first diameter and expanding to equal or exceed the firstdiameter. Therefore, the means to associate and the means to receive aresecured by gravity and a friction fit, forming a junction 100. The treetop section comprises two means for receiving and no means forassociating for a purpose to be described below.

The inverted tree of FIG. 3 comprises all the same elements, however,the positions of these elements relative to the stand assembly 15 arereversed and each element is inverted from its original orientation.Namely, the second means to receive 66 on the tree top section 20 ispositioned to receive the means to associate 26 of the trunk segment 16.The first means to receive 64 of the tree top section 20 is positionedto receive the means to associate 44 of the first tree body assembly 18.The means to receive 42 of the first tree body assembly 18 receives themeans to associate 92 of the second tree body assembly 80. The means toreceive 90 of the second tree body assembly 80 receives the means toassociate 72 of the ornament 70.

The segmented construction of embodiments the present invention allowadditional tree body assemblies to be purchased to create a larger treeor for a variety of different lengths of trunk segments to be providedthereby creating different distances from the floor as desired by theuser. Because the tree can be assembled in either direction, amanufacturer can sell it as either one or the other or as convertible inaddition to offering “add on pieces” for height variation.

Thus, embodiments of the present invention have been described in anillustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology thathas been used is intended to be in the nature of words of descriptionrather than of limitation.

Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possiblein light of the above teachings. For example, means to receive and meansto associate could include a variety of complementary mechanics. Thetree could include a large number of different decorative aspectsincluding means for alternating colors of lights, different ways offolding or extending branches for storage, etc. The branch lengths onsuccessive tree body assemblies may be arranged to provide a smoothdecrease in branch length from lowest to highest or could be selected sothat a demarcation or graduated effect between tree body assemblies isvisible. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the presentinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

1. A decorative artificial tree system comprising: a stand assemblycomprising a receiving portion; a tree trunk segment comprising a firstend and a second end, both the first end and the second end compriseextending members; a first tree body assembly comprising a first end anda second end, the first end comprising an extending member and thesecond end comprising a receiving portion; and a tree top portioncomprising first and second ends, both the first and second endscomprise receiving portions, the receiving portion of the stand assemblysized to receive the extending member of the first end of the tree trunksegment, the receiving portion of the second end of the first tree bodyassembly sized to receive the extending member of the second end of thetree trunk segment, the receiving portion of the second end of the treetop portion sized to receive the extending member of the first end ofthe first tree body assembly, the receiving portion of the first end ofthe tree top portion sized to receive the extending member of the firstend of the tree trunk segment enabling inversion of the tree top portionand the first tree body assembly, and the receiving portions of thefirst and second ends of the tree top portion sized to the receive anextending member of an ornament.
 2. The tree system of claim 1, furthercomprising a second tree body assembly, the second tree body assemblycomprising a first end comprising an extending member and a second endcomprising a receiving portion, the receiving portion of the second endof the second tree body assembly sized to receive the extending memberof the second end of the tree trunk segment, and the extending member ofthe second end of the second tree body assembly receivable by thereceiving portion of the second end of the first tree body assembly. 3.The tree system of claim 1, wherein the first tree body assembly furthercomprises a plurality of branches of varied lengths arranged fromshortest to longest, and the tree top portion further comprises aplurality of branches of varied lengths less than or equal to theshortest of the plurality of branches of the first tree body assemblyand arranged from shortest to longest.
 4. A decorative artificial treesystem having a generally triangular shape, the tree system comprising:a tree top section comprising first and second receiving portions onopposing ends of the tree top section; a tree body assembly comprising aextending member and a receiving portion on opposing ends of the treebody assembly; and a trunk segment comprising first and second extendingmembers on opposing ends of the trunk segment. wherein any of the firstreceiving portion on the tree top section, the second receiving portionon the tree top section, or the receiving portion on the tree bodyassembly are adapted to receive one of the extending members of thetrunk segment or the extending member of the tree body assembly, and thetree system having a generally upright orientation, wherein the lowermost point is adjacent the trunk segment and the upper most point isadjacent the tree top section, the tree system having a generallyinverted orientation, wherein the lower most point is adjacent the treetop section and the upper most point is adjacent the tree body portion,and the receiving portions of the first and second ends of the tree topportion sized to the receive an extending member of an ornament.
 5. Thetree system of claim 4, the upright orientation further comprises anapex near the upper most point, and the inverted orientation furthercomprises an apex near the lower most point.
 6. The tree system of claim4, the inverted orientation comprises an inversion from the uprightorientation of the tree top section and the tree body section.
 7. Thetree system of claim 4, further comprising a stand assembly comprising aplurality of feet and a base comprising an receiving portion, thereceiving portion sized to receive one of the extending members of thetrunk segment, the stand assembly adapted to stabilize the tree systemin both the upright and inverted orientations.
 8. The tree system ofclaim 4, the tree body assembly and the tree top section both comprisinga plurality of branches of varied length.
 9. A method of converting adecorative tree from an inverted orientation to an upright orientation,the method comprising: assembling the decorative tree in an invertedorientation, comprising: connecting a first extending member of a trunksegment to a stand assembly; connecting a first receiving portion of atree top section to a second extending member of the trunk segment; andreceiving an extending member of a tree body assembly with a secondreceiving portion of the tree top section; and reversing the decorativetree from the inverted orientation to the upright orientation,comprising: connecting the first extending member of the trunk segmentto the stand assembly; connecting the second extending member of thetrunk segment to the receiving portion of a first tree body assembly;and receiving the extending member of the first tree body assembly withthe first receiving portion of the tree top section.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, reversing the decorative tree from the inverted orientation tothe upright orientation further comprising removing the assembled treein the inverted orientation.
 11. The method of claim 9, insertingbranches into a plurality of apertures along the length of any one ofthe tree top section or the tree body assembly.